After more than a year of dialogue, the University of Arizona Cancer Center and St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center have solidified plans for cancer treatment and research in Phoenix. The Arizona Board of Regents, which oversees UA, endorsed the affiliation at its Dec. 2 meeting in Tucson, also approving financing for the construction of the $135 million cancer facility.

Today, the Arizona Cancer Center and St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center officials are announcing an agreement to join forces on cancer research and patient care, with plans to work with other oncology physicians — most of them in Arizona — to help them treat their cancer patients as well.

Syncardia Systems Inc., A Tucson-based manufacturer of artificial hearts, has landed on Forbes’ list of the 100 most promising private companies in America. The medical device company checked in at No. 77 on the list, and was the the only Arizona company that made the cut.

One of the most primitive forms of life on Earth may hold the promise of a high-tech solution to some of the globe’s most vexing problems. Heliae, a technology-development company based in Gilbert, is working to design an industrial process that starts with the creation of high-fat strains of algae and ends with the production of ready-to-use jet fuel and other commercial products.

Perry High School will offer its first STEM diploma, a four-year degree of rigorous classes in science, technology, engineering and math. The school will offer incoming freshmen two tracks: a STEM diploma and a STEM scholar diploma. The difference is higher level of math — calculus and differential equations — during a student’s senior year for the scholar diploma.

I was fortunate this week to attend a forum on STEM education – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – hosted by the local affiliate of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) and came away very impressed by what our state is doing on both a government and business level to address the educational needs of our future workers in the manufacturing and technology fields.